Apple slicing machine



Filed Jan. 7, 1931 INVENTOR, G, a PA N\CHQL AS Patented Oct. 11, 1932UNITED NICHOLAS G. PAPAC, or WATSONvIIIIQE, CALIFORNIA APPLE 'sLIcINeMA'o'Hmn Application"fildifanuary 7, 1931. Serial No. 507,143.

This invention relates particularly" to an apple slicing machine.

object of the invention is'to' provide in a'inachine for slicing-applesand similar fruit or' vegetables which will speedily and automaticallyfeed, cut,--and discharge the apples or other fruitor Vegetables,without mutilation or undue'injury thereto.

A still further object of the inventionis to provide a pair of circularframes, one

being mounted concentrically within 1 the other, the outer circularframebeing stationary and carrying sets of steppedcutting Other objectsand advantagesare topicvide an apple slicing machinethat will besuperior in point of simplicity,inexpensiveness of construction,positiveness of operation, and facility and convenience inuse and jgeneral efliciency. V A

In this specification and the' annexed drawing,the invention isillustrated the form considered to be the b'estybut it is to beunderstood that the invention is not limited to such form, because itmay be em- .bodied in other forms; and it' is 'als' 1 6 1 understoodthat in and fby theclaimsfollowing the description, it is desired tocover the invention in whatsoever form'itmay be embodied. 7

ing

Figl

1"represents a vertical cross section through an apple slicing machineconstructed in accordance with my lnventlon, taken on the line l l ofFig. 2., r

is a plan section taken thr ugh Eig. 1 on the line 2-2.

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section taken through the other frame.

'trally the shaft 8 being secured in said huh. =A

' driving gear 9 is fixed to" the shaft'8, and said s85 gear 9m'esheswith a gear 10 mounted (in a shaft'll which is connected to apower source In the accompanymg e. 9 f r w ist'o be understood thattheinveiitionis' not the knives and Ps :on thew line 3fi3 of Fig. 4 is'asection taken through thesweeps on the line t4 of Fig. 2.

In detail the construction illustrated in the drawing comprises anapple, or fruit or-vegetable, slicing machine consisting ofanoutercircularframe '1, havlng the. inner clrcum ference thereof providedwrtha-row of C11- cular grooves 2 therearound. A circular 5 frame 31smounted concentricallywithin the outer frame 1 and in spaced relationthere with, said inner frame having a row of grooves t-around' the outercircumference thereof. The respective sets of=gr ooves-2- and 4: in theouter and inner frames, face each other and the grooves in one frame lieintermediate with respect to th -grooves in Each of the frames 1 and 3are adapted to be arranged in a horizontalnio position on the upper sideof a table surface 5. Thextableis' ring-like in formation-and "closesthe space att-he bottom side ofthe frames.

The outer frame 1 is mounted fixed- 1y on the table5, while the innerfraine 3 isimi free to be rotated relative thereto.

A- coned spillway'fi is provided on the upper side of the inner frame 3,the apex of; the conereglstering with the central axis 'of'the sa dlnner' ring. The outer clrcumference ofmso the spillway is securelyfixed to the upper side of the inner frame. A h'ub 7 is attached cenonthe under side of "the spillway 6,

for rotating the said gears.

The spillway 6 and -inner ffainefi rotate V in unison" when power isapplied lthercto w through the gears and shafts referredto'. It

limited to the particular form er driving means illustrated anddescribed, as it -would .i nisms.

Thenpperside o-fi the spil-lway is provided with a pair of. blocks 12thereo'nto be used. for'disturloing the apples or other-fruit lying 011the said spillway, and to' prevent said articles jamming thereon. 13 isarranged above and around the outer 01rcumference of the sp-illway 6,said guard rail frame. a with apluralityrof apertures 19 therethrough,lying directly in line with each of the steps on r the brackets 18. Aknife is bolted at one endto each of the steps on each of the stepped 13being supported on brackets is which are secured to the outer frame 1.The upper side of the guard rail 13 is provided with a cover 15 thereon,into the central part of "which extends a hopper 16. The guard rail 13is provided with openings 17 therethrough, at spaced circumferentialpoints therearoun'd,

through which apples resting on the spillway Y may be discharged intothe space between the inner and outer frames, in the manner to behereinafter-described. I

1 The framel on the outer peripherythereof and on diametricallyopposite.sides,.is pro- -vided with stepped brackets 18, each bracketbeing securely fastened to the outside of the The outside of the frameis provided brackets '18, each of said knives projecting :through theapertures in the framel, and the free or unsupported ends of the saidknives are confined inthe annular grooves 4, pro-' 7 vided around theouter circumference of the inner frame 3. a

V The plurality of knives 20 mounted on each stepped bracket, are soarranged that the knives spaced farthest from thefioor 5 are the firstwith which the apple will be engaged at the commencement of the slicingoperation.

Thus, by feeding the apple toward the underside of the knives, greaterslicing efficiency ofthe inner. frame, the knives are thus maintained inspaced relation throughout the slicis obtained than by moving the applestoward the upper side of the knives during the slicing operation. 'Allofthe knives 20 extend inward from the inner circumference of the frame1, and the edges of said knives are substantially parallel to oneanother. vfining the free ends of the knives in the guide- Byconwaysprovided 'on theouter circumference ingoperation so that auniform thickness of porting frame without interfering withany Aplurality of sets of sweeps 21 are ar-g ranged inspacedcircumferentialrelation 1 3K The inner frame 3 on its outer peripherysliced apple is produced at all times.

construction also permits any knife to be un bolted and removedfrom. thestepped'supother parts of the apparatus.

around the outer periphery of the inner frame provided with slots orgrooves 22 out there across at an angle to the vertical, and atspaced 1}iii).

circumferential points around said -frame. Each set of sweep-s 21consists ofa plurality of blades or'bars heldin stepped or spaced Irelation ona supporting plate 23. The plate 23 with-all ofthe sweeps21thereon, is adapted to beseated inone of the grooves 22 where- A guardrail The face of said frame. The'plate 3(lwhen removed, leaves a slot orgap, through which the sweeps '21 may be moved when placing the sweepson the inner frame or when removing the same'therefrom. Each plate 23,holding the sweep'arms 21,

by the sweep arms extend radially outi is pinned or bolted at 24 to theframe 3 to hold said sweep arms in a predetermined position. i

The sweep arms are arranged in spaced relation so as to passthrough andbetween the cutting knives when the said sweep arms are rotated relativeto said knives.

The-space between each pair of spaced sweeps and between the inner andouter frames, forms a pocket into which a-plurality' of apples tobe'sliced are'discharged from the spillway 6. As the inner frame 3 andsweep arms 21 are rotated around, the said apples;

are carried toward the cutting'knivesand are forced into and throughthe. cutting knives during which operation the said apples are reducedto slices. A dischargeopening 26 is provided through the floor 5 at apoint adj acentthe discharge end of eachset of cuttin'gknives, throughwhich the apple slices are discharged and carried off through the chute27.

It will be noticed that theuppermost bars of the sweeps 21 are inclinedprogressively forward in the direction of rotation of the frame3,-whereby the angle of inclination of said sweeps will tend to forcethe apples toward the floor over which the said sweeps move, and. thusmovesaid apples beneath and through the progressive, rearwardly inclinedcutting knives 20.

Having thus described this invention, what I claim and desire to secureby Letters Patent 1s i In an apple slicing machine, a pair of.

circular framesdisposed in concentric rela tion, the inner perlphery of.the' outerframe and the outer periphery of the inner frame ,havmgannular guides thereon; a set of knlves, each having a common endthereof held in stepped relation on one frame-and a plurality of sets ofblade sweeps arranged in 'circumferentially spaced relation around the.

other frame, the free ends of each of the knives'and sweeps beingconfinedvto' move in the guides in the frame opposite to that on Whichsaid knives and blades are mounted;

and'means to rotate one frame relative to the other frame to knives.

pass the sweeps between the i 2. An apple slicing machine as set forthin claim 1, including sweeps, each sweep consisting of a row of bladesarranged in spaced offset relation so that the plane of the blades ineach sweep lies at an angle to the vertical.

3. In an apple slicing machine, a pair of circular frames disposed inconcentric relation, the inner periphery of the outer frame andthe outerperiphery of the inner frame having annular guides thereon; plural setsof knives arranged in spaced circumferential relation around the innerperiphery of the outer frame, the knives of each set being arranged instepped relation and having a com mon end thereof secured to said outerframe, and having the free ends thereof confined in the annular guideson the inner frame; plural sets of sweeps arranged in spacedcircumferential relation around the outer periphery of the inner frame,the sweeps of each set being arranged in stepped relation and having acommon end thereof secured to said inner frame and having the free endsof said sweeps confined in the annular guides on the outer frame; andmeans to rotate the inner frame to pass the sweeps thereon between theknives.

4. An apple slicing machine, as set forth in claim 3, including a tableenclosing the space bet-ween the inner and outer frames on the bottomside thereof and having plural discharge openings therein on thedischarge side of the knives.

5. In an apple slicing machine, a pair of circular frames disposed inconcentric relation, the inner frame being rotatable and the outer framebeing stationary, and the outer periphery of the inner frame and theinner periphery of the outer frame having annular guides thereon; pluralsets of radially disposed knives arranged in spaced circumfercuttingedges of theknives; and a stationary floor between the inner and outerframes having discharge openings therein located at the rear of thecutting edges of the knives.

7. An apple slicing machine including a pair of circular frames disposedin spaced concentric relation, the inner frame being rotatable and theother frame being stationary a floor covering the space between theinner and outer frames at the bottom side thereof; stepped sweepsextended radially outward from the outer periphery of the inner frame inspaced circumferential'relation therearound; stepped knives extendedinward from the inner periphery of the outer frame in spacedcircumferential relation therearound; guides extended between thestepped sweeps and stepped knives around the facing peripheries of theinner and outer frames, to support the free ends of the sweeps andknives respectively; means to direct apples to be sliced onto the floorbetween the sweeps and knives; and means to rotate the inner frame topass the sweeps thereon around between the knives.

In testimony whereof, I have hereunto set my hand at San Francisco,California, this 29th day of December, 1930.

, NICHOLAS G. PAPAG.

ential relation around the inner periphery V of the outer frame, theknives of each set being arranged in stepped relation and having a.common end thereof secured to said outer frame and having the free endsthereof confined in the annular guides on the inner frame; plural setsof radially disposed sweeps arranged in spaced circumferential relationaround the outer periphery of the inner frame, the sweeps of each setbeing arranged in stepped relation and having a common end thereofsecured to said inner frame and having the free ends of said sweepsconfined in the annular guides on the outer frame; a coned spillwaysecured on the upper side of the inner frame to direct apples to besliced toward the periphery thereof; and'mea-ns connected to thespillway to rotate the spillway and inner frame to pass the sweeps onthe inner frame between the knives.

6. An apple slicing machine, as set forth in claim 5, including astationary guard rail around the periphery of the spillway havingopenings therein positioned to the rear of the los

